Bull Caribou represents the graphic qualities for which the artist is both admired and collected: strong, competent draughtsmanship, interplayed with masterful and well-balanced proportions. An accomplished hunter, Kananginak possessed a knowledge and experience of Arctic wildlife that comes across with clarity in his works. This intriguing ink drawing is clearly done by an artist who intimately knew the animal, its behaviour, and its character.

I used to watch caribou when they were close by early in the morning. I like to draw caribou; they hear things easily, and they turn their heads. I like the movement of caribou. I draw the things that I remember. If I didn’t observe caribou I would not know how to draw one. I know how they look and I know their movements. (2004 artist interview with Ingo Hessel)

Kananginak’s viewpoints of his beloved caribou subjects were often unusual, including several depictions of the animal seen from the rear. But what makes Bull Caribou truly astonishing is the addition of two extra sets of antlers in the image – or rather, Kananginak shows this animal’s antlers in three different positions, illustrating the caribou’s head movements in a kind of “stop-motion” sequence. Brilliant!

After seeing other peoples’ work, I think that I put more details in than other people. I

am not following a photograph. Some people ask me if I follow a photo and I tell them

no. It comes out of my imagination. That is my talent.

References: The artist quote above is from Ingo Hessel, Kananginak Pootoogook: Celebrating Five Decades of Artistic Achievement (Toronto: Museum of Inuit Art, 2010), p. 22. This catalogue illustrates several caribou in unusual poses. Another section of the same 2004 interview with the artist is cited in the same MIA catalogue (p. 16) and in Ingo Hessel, Arctic Spirit: Inuit Art from the Albrecht Collection at the Heard Museum (Phoenix, AZ: Heard Museum/Vancouver: Douglas & McIntyre, 2006), p. 107: “After seeing other peoples’ work, I think that I put more details in than other people. I am not following a photograph. Some people ask me if I follow a photo and I tell them no. It comes out of my imagination. That is my talent.” See the Kananginak print and drawing on pp. 106-107 of that catalogue.